Signal or indicator.



W. S. WOODRUFF & H. KISSINGER.

SIGNAL 0R INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1914.

Patented Mar. 9, 1 915.

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'HE NORRIS PETERS c0, PHOTO-LITHO. WASHING TON. D. l:v

W. s. WOODRUPP & H. KISSINGER.

SIGNAL OR INDICATOR. APPLICATION TILED JAN.'29. 1914.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

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lilililii? '(IIIIII/IIII/A 3 wig. I W W W I THE NORRIS PETERS 50.. PHOTC-LITHOI. WASHINGTON, D. c,

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WILLARD WOODRUFF, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND HENRY KISSINGER, 0F "UNION HILL, NEW JERSEY.

SIGNAL OR INDICATOR.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, fQf-E.

Application filed January 29,1914. Serial No. 815,203.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLARD S. W001)- RUFF and HENRY KIssrNGnn, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, and Union Hill, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have made a new and useful In-' vention in Signals or Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is directed particularly to apparatus of this general character for giving warning or indication, from places of public amusement, department stores, hotels and the like, to drivers or chauffeurs that their services are again required; and its objects are first, to provide a simple, efficient and cheap apparatus for giving indications which shall be visible for a considerable distance from the point signaled from that any particular driver or chaufieur is wanted, thereby very greatly facilitating the speed with which crowds are dispersed. fiecond, to provide an apparatus of this general character which can be quickly and temporarily set up in proximity to the place where it is desired to use it and shall be adapted to be operated with relatively great speed. Third, to provide an apparatus of this general character, of mechanical structure, where all of the signaling characters are exposed to view purely by mechanical action of the parts by a single operator, thus making the device dependent solely upon the manipulation of such parts for its operation.

Our invention will be fully understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in

which,

Figure 1 is a part sectional, part elevational view of the entire mechanism; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the signal apparatus proper with the top removed. Fig. 3 is a detail part sectional, part side elevational view of one of the signaling appliances and the means for effecting its rotation in opposite directions. Fig. 4: is a front elevational view of the means for manually efl ecting the operation of the signals, showing the operating levers or keys in different positions for the different parts of the apparatus. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken through Fig. 4, showing one of the operating levers or keys only in position.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the mechanical means for restoring the individual signal frames when released, showing also one of the cords or propelling means for manually rotating it to various positions. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a part of the cords for manually operating each rotatable part of the apparatus.

Referringnow to the drawings in detail in all of which like numerals of reference represent like parts wherever used, 1 represents the inclosing casing of the signal mechanism provided in the present case with three openings on the front side for exposing the various numbers or characters to be transmitted, the right-hand portion of said frame being broken away to show the interior structure and lamp for illuminating the same.

2, 2, 2, represent three rotary hexagonalshaped frames inclosed in the casing as shown, supported at equal distances apart by the bottom 4 thereof and provided with translucent surfaces on five of the sides of each for placing the various numbers to be exposed through the translucent openings 3 on the front of frame when rotated, as will be described later on, there being in the present instance 5 numerals1 to 5 inclusive-one on each of five successive faces of the rotary frames, the sixth face on each rotary frame being of translucent glass only, so that when all of the rotary frames are released the openings shown in Figs. 1 i

and 2 on the front disclose three blank indications. These rotary frames are each sup ported by a rigid journal bearing 5 and are adapted to be rotated by hollow cylindrical pulleys 6 which are secured to the frames by disks? and screws 8, 8, 9 being in each instance the outer or rotary surface of the pulleys and 10 a propelling cord therefor; 12 being a rectractile spring within the pulley fixedly attached at one end to the journal bearing 5 and at theother to the inner pulley surface 9. The cords 10 are attached to the outer pulley surface at a point 11, as shown in Fig. 6 and are designed to rotate manually the frames 2, 2, against the stress of the spring 12, and this spring should be placed under some normal stress so that when the mechanism is released, all of the rotatable frames 2 will surely return to norreal or zero position.

13 represents a strip attached to one side of the casing lhaving guide-ways for the three independent cords 10, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and 14 represents a similar strip in alinement therewith (see Fig.1) but at some different point dependent upon the proximity of the operating device and the signal proper.

'19 (see Figs. 1, 4 and 5) represents an operating keyboard for operating the device, provided with three grooves on its upper surface for sustaining sliding key-supports 18, 18, 18 to which keys 20, 20, 20 are pivotally secured at their lower ends 21, 21, 21.

22, 22, 22 represent locking pins on the upper ends of the keys 20 adapted to extend through holes in thekey-board 19 corresponding to the numbers on the rotatable frames 2, '2, 2 and to lock said frames in any desired position according to thenumbers it is desired to indicate through the respective translucent openings 3, 3 3. 23, 23, 23 represent retractile springs attached to the upper ends of, the key-supports 18 and levers or keys 20; 24, 24, 24 being operating heads for enabling the attendant Y a to grasp and manipulate said keys.

25 represents a pulley with three grooved faces located in alinement with the openings in the strips 13 and 14 for changing the direction of the applied power through the cords 10 in manually rotating the frames 2.

26 represents one of the three incandescent la'mps, the sockets 27 27, 27 of which are secured to a .longitudinalsupport 28 in the casing 1 in such manner that all of the trans "lucent surfaces of the signals are illuminated whenthe source of light is put in operation. The operation of the invention is as follows: The levers or keys 20, 20, 20 are supposed to-be in their upper position at the top of the key-board'19 withthe locking pins 22, 22, 22 in the upper row of holes or open ings shown and, consequently, the springs '12, acting under stress for restoring the frames 2, 2, 2 to their normal or non-indica-tingposition; sothat there is not seen any character through any one of the translucent openings 3, 3, 3. Suppose now that it is desired to call some number, for instance 534, as indicated in Fig. 1 of-the drawings. The "operator manipulating the pivoted lever or ?key 20 by the operating head 24 withdraws the'p'in 22 from its corresponding hole or opening and forces said lever or key 20 with its key-support 18 against the action of the spring 12 until the pin 22 lies opposite theopening corresponding to the numeral 5 of the first row on the left. It is then released and thespring 23 of that key forces the .pininto'position and locks it, thus causing the indicating number 5 of the first rotary frame'2 on the left to-appear as shown. He then goesthrough the sameoperation for the second rotary frame, and draws the lever or key 20 downward with its support 18 until its pin 22 is opposite the third opening of that row, as shown in Fig. 4, when it is released and the numeral 3 appears through the translucent opening for the corresponding frame. A like operation is had for the third rotary frame, bringing the lever or key 20 downward until the pin 22 of that row is opposite the fourth opening when it is released, showing the numeral 4 of the indicator through the translucent opening 3, so that cab or carriage 534 has been called, which number corresponds to the duplicate card given to the owner or passenger, and the corresponding driver or chauffeur, this feature being well understood by those versed in cab calls. It will thus be seen that with this structural arrangement it is possible for an operator to very quickly make any call on the apparatus within the capacity of the three rotary frames 2, 2, 2, or any like numberone or more, and in any desired order so that he may very rapidly and easily successively call the desired numbers in accordance with the wants of the users, it not being necessary to restore the mechanism to normal condition after he has once commenced operation. As will be seen, such operator need only place the desired locking pins 22 for the desired rotary frames 2 in the corresponding openings to the numbers indicated on the card held by the owner or passenger, as also by the driver or chauffeur of the carriage or cab.

We do not limit our invention to the special details of construction disclosed in the accompanying drawings and hereinbefore described, as a number of the features may be materially departed from and still come within the scope of our claims hereinafter made; to illustrate, obviously the structural arrangement may be such that a duplication of the apparatus may be effected for various combinations of numbers wanted on the opposite faces of the frame and with two keyboards which might be operated by one attendant as desired, such matters being within the skill of those versed in the art.

hat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a signal the combination of a movable member bearing numerals; a connection for moving said member; a sliding member comprising a pivoted key handle joined to said connection; a projection associated with said handle; and a board having a slideway in which said sliding member fits, said board also having perforations corresponding to said numerals into which said projection may fit, substantially as described.

2. In a signal the combination of a rotatable member bearing numerals; means tending to normally rotate said member in .a predetermined direction; a flexible connection by which said member may be turned in an opposite direction; a board provided With a perforation for each of said numerals, and with a slideway; a key supporting slide fitting said slide Way and joined to said flexible connection; a key handle pivoted to said slide; and a projection carried by said handle adapted to enter said perforations one at a time, substantially as described.

3. In a signal the combination of a rotatable member bearing numerals; means comprising a spring tending to normally rotate said member in a predetermined direction; a flexible connection by Which said member may be turned in an opposite direction; perforated guide members for said flexible connection; a board provided With a perforation for each of said numerals, and With a slidevvay; a key supporting slide fltting said slideway and joined to said flexible connection; a key handle pivoted to said slide; and a spring controlled projection carried by said handle adapted to enter said perforations one at a time, substantially as described.

4. In a signal the combination of a plurality of rotatable members located side by side and bearing a plurality of numerals; springs for normally rotating said members in a predetermined direction; flexible connections for rotating said members in an opposite direction; a key supporting slide joined to each flexible connection; a pivoted key handle member on each key supporting slide; a projection carried by each handle member; a spring for each projection; and a board provided With a slideway for each slide and With a perforation for each projection, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLARD S. WOODRUFF. HENRY KISSINGER. Witnesses:

C. J. KINTNER, M. F. KEATING.

(topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, JD. 0. 

